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Rian Johnson's 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Arrives Early in May of 2017
by Ethan Anderton
March 12, 2015
With Star Wars: The Force Awakens hitting in December this year, and the first official Star Wars spin-off coming a year later in December of 2016, we've assumed that the winter month would always be the timeframe for new films in the galaxy far, far away to get released. However, StarWars.com has confirmed information from a call between Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney shareholders where it was revealed that Star Wars: Episode VIII, which has been confirmed to be directed by Looper director Rian Johnson, will arrive on May 26th, 2017. May was previously the month of Star Wars, so the change isn't surprising.
There were rumblings that J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy originally wanted Disney to push Star Wars: Episode VII to May of 2016, but the studio definitely didn't want to wait that long for their cash cow to start giving milk. Clearly Disney wants to get Star Wars back to the summer though, which is where a franchise like that belongs anyway. And for those keeping count, Star Wars: Episode VIII will arrive forty years and one day after the original Star Wars was released.
Of course, we don't know any new details on the sequel yet, mostly because we don't really know what happens in The Force Awakens, but Johnson is definitely writing and directing. he's also supposed to be writing Episode IX, but that hasn't been officially confirmed. But Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman, producer of Looper, Brick and The Brothers Blooms, will produce Episode VIII, but it sounds like J.J. Abrams won't be producing once he's finished with The Force Awakens. We can't wait to see what's next for the Star Wars universe, especially in the hands of a director like Rian Johnson. Cool?
6 Comments
1
superb!!
ari smulders on Mar 12, 2015
2
This is so god damn exciting. JJ and Johnson. fucking kings of sci fi now.
Jon Odishaw on Mar 12, 2015
3
I had a feeling they might book Ep 8 in time for the 40 year anniversary of the original film. That is too good of an idea to pass up. It was either that, or try to strike up some deal to re-release the original film on that date. I love the idea that, once we get near the end of the year, we'll be looking forward to getting 3 Star Wars films in the span of a year and a half.
Chris Groves on Mar 12, 2015
4
The official site says May 26, 1977, so your felling was only off by one day. 🙂
Jamie Douglas on Mar 12, 2015
5
Well jeesh, I didn't mean to the EXACT day, I just meant in general...it's the same 'weekend' as the 40th anniversary. Memorial Day weekend 1977, Memorial Day weekend 2017. Star Wars.
Chris Groves on Mar 13, 2015
6
YES!!!~ Rian will have the vindication for all the fanboy hate he got for LOOPER. This man is talented. Trust.
DAVIDPD on Mar 12, 2015
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